Every Girl Should Have Milani Baked Blush Luminoso In Her Makeup Bag For Warm, Glowy Cheeks!

If “Lumos!” is what the wizarding world chants to emit a warm glow from their wands, then “Luminoso” must be what we need to conjure a picture of perfect glowing cheeks in our muggle world.

Every time I use Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso, I think of Lumos, a latin word meaning ‘light’. And a gorgeous light it brings to the face, it does!

Is Milani Luminoso A Dupe For Nars Orgasm?

I don’t know about you, but to me, a ‘dupe’ should be 90% similar to the object of comparison.

While Luminoso has been named by many as a great drugstore dupe for NARS Orgasm, I don’t think it reminds me of Orgasm that much.

Orgasm is predominantly pink with tinge of peach, while Luminoso is mainly peach with some sweet pink.

Left: Milani Baked Blush Luminoso; Right: Nars Blush Orgasm

Also, NARS has slightly more shimmer and the texture is not as smooth as Luminoso.

Lumos!

Sorry, just had to interrupt with the random thought.

Pretty Shimmery Peach Blush

I’ve moved away from true pink blushes quite some time ago. I do still reach for MAC Pink Swoon on occasions, but they’re quite rare now. I’m really into peaches and corals for blushes and lipsticks now.

Milani Luminoso is a slightly shimmery peach blush, with a tinge of pink.

There isn’t as much shimmer in Luminoso as there is glitter in the Too Faced Papa Don’t Peach Blush, so people who dislike blushes with too much glitter will find Luminoso more appealing. The tiny bits of shimmer do so much as give a warm, healthy glow, and not make you look like a glitterbomb.

Personally, I like a bit of shimmer in my blush. Matte blushes look a bit dead on me.

Soft, Intensely Pigmented, Blends Well

When I swipe it with a finger, it goes onto the skin just a tad chalky. But that doesn’t happen when I use a MAC 168. I used a finger only to do swatches for photos.

For the cheeks, I swipe the 168 across the product, tap off the excess and apply with a light hand. When I first tried it, I had no idea it would be that pigmented despite reading blog reviews that warned about its intense pigmentation!

So remember to use a light hand first since it’s always easier to build on than remove!

Gold Ingot

I wonder if the base of the powder blush is concave like its top. You know, coz some cosmetics manufacturers like to save on product by elevating it with something below or curving the base of it, to create the illusion of plenty of product.

It’s no big deal, really, since there is so much product in the pan I doubt I will ever finish using it.

I really don’t mind the slightly bulky packaging of Milani Baked Blushes, but I wish they could do away with the bottom compartment that sits the brush I never use.

The gold plastic case is actually growing on me, more than I thought it would, as I thought it looked a bit cheesy at first.

It looks like a gold ingot, doesn’t it!

I love how the subtle shimmer effect looks so beautiful on my MAC NC20-25 skin. I think Luminoso’s light glowy peach is flattering on most skin tones and undertones, from the reviews and pictures I’ve seen on blogs. And I hope you will love it more now that I’ve reviewed it!

If you have access to Milani products, you should run to the store and get it now!

hi bun bun, i think as I own Milani Luminoso and Nars Orgasm I find the to be different from each other. However, the dupe which I can think would be the Milani Minerals Luminous. It may be confusing because of the similar names on it. I love them both. have a happy and beautiful weekend!

I just bought this a few weeks ago as my first foray into peach blush. I love it! It works well even on my cool-to-neutral fair skin and the shimmer is just enough. What a wonderful shade for spring and summer, especially. (PS -- Hi! I'm mostly a lurker but I love your blog!)

Hi I just bought the milani baked blush in rose d'oro and the blush came out of the pan from shipping. No biggie since a little crazy glue fixed it. The blush on the back actually says made in italy and is ttally flat! I was so surprised its no concave at all so there really is A LOT of product. The blushes have only a spot of glue to keep it secured so im not surprised it came out of the pan, but the blush itself really is of high quality and when you look at it on its own when out of the container you can really see its been baked nicely and can not tell its a drugstore item. I think te packaging makes it seem way "cheaper" than it really is.

Awesome swatch and review (loving the Harry Potter reference)!
One word about being a Nars Orgasam dupe, I believe the much talked about dupe for Orgasm from Milani LUMINOUS mineral blush instead of Luminoso baked blush. Two different products, 2 different colors. Luminous is almost a dead-on dupe for Orgasm.

I've been wanting to get this for the longest time but have not gotten it yet :P I have been trying to ban myself from buying cosmetic stuff this early in the new year so this would have to wait =_____='' So anyway, I know this have been the talk of so many beauty gurus so...I am dying to get my hands on some :D hehehe. Where did you get yours? Did you order online?
x0x0

haha....gold ingot...good one! Your writing is always so light hearted and funny, love it!
I am exactly like you in my blush "quest". I used to use only pink/rose blushes, all really cutty/doll-like colors. But as I get older, I found that coral/peach blushes looks more sophisticated and easier to wear. I'm totally into coral ip color as well!
Milani and Jordana (same company, I believe) had a 50% off sale during Thanksgiving in the United States. I should have taken advantage of it, because it was such an awesome deal. But I'm trying to save for my first home purchase so I was being good.
If I know of another Milani sale, I'll let you know. I wouldn't mind mailing it to you in Singapore. I bet it'll be cheaper even with postage.

Ahahaha I LOVE that gold ingot part. Somebody's getting into the Chinese New Year mode!
That aside, the blush looks really nice! The only peachy blush I have at the moment is Tarte Peaceful and I love it (I have swatched/reviewed it in my blog if you're interested)! Wish I had access to Milani here, though if I remember correctly you also went through a lot of trouble laying your hands on this one!

I love love love the luminoso blush from Milani.. they last throughout the whole day of 8 hrs and I have oily T-zone up to half of my cheek area, so that speaks a lot for this product. I went on a craze and got 5 other colours as well but this is the least shimmery of all. I actually dont mind the rest with shimmers thought cos they arent gritty and just sit on top of the blush colour, if that makes sense :)

I am on a Blush craze these days. So I am super excited to try this! I like that you mentioned that there is little shimmer. I find blushes with too much shimmer overwhelming for the day time. How long does it last? I dislike it when blushes fade throughout the day.
Have you tried the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes? They are pretty good, although pricey, you can get enough product by take only one or two sweeps on the blush.

Yea, I realized they're quite different as pointed out by a reader. Thanks for pointing that out too! The dupe should be for Milani Luminoso Mineral Blush and not the baked version! My bad! Heehee.
Hope you had a great weekend too! :)

Aiya.... ban for what... Hahahhaa... I never believe in banning coz after the ban has been lifted, I'll buy MORE to make up for the terrible time when I was banned!
Yup, I ordered from sprees. You can check out if you have any local sprees in your country. =)

I think it's got a lot to do with...... maturing. Lol! Once in a while I'll try and attempt Pink Swoon (matte pink) from MAC, stare at myself in the mirror, think it's all wrong, layer on a tiny bit of peach on top, and then be able to smile. Hahaha!
Awww, you're such a darling, Sunny! Hey do you own any Milani eyeshadows? They're great MAC dupes as I've read.

Totally! :P Can't wait for CNY man! I always feel like the year hasn't really started until CNY comes along. It's my favorite festive season! All the awesome goodies, yu sheng, bak kwa, family, friends, ANG POW... heh heh...
I read about the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes on your blog and I can see why you love it. It's great in so many aspects! I think Peaceful is gorgeous. =)

Which shades did you purchase? I didn't want to risk getting more than only Luminoso, lest I totally dislike Luminoso. Turns out my worry was unnecessary! Which shade do you like the most, besides Luminoso?

Me too! I hate blushes that disappear 2 hours after application. I need blushes that have longer lasting power because my oily skin tends to make things slide off my face. :( This Milani Luminoso lasts a pretty long time! My oily skin approves! Even after blotting, not too much comes off, so I don't look all washed out.
Yeah, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes seem to be the latest craze. But Tarte's not available in Singapore... Wish I could do some swatches myself to know if they appeal to me.

I actually own some Milani metallic baked eyeshadows. I love using them wet as eyeliners. For a night look, I sometimes prefer metallic eyeshadows over shimmery ones, because I just love how the light hits on it and creating a very interesting look.
I'm not sure if they're great MAC dupes, because I only own basic/neutral colors from MAC. I rarely buy too many "fun" colored (ie. teal/purple/pink metallic) eyeshadows from department store brands. Because I don't reach for them too often, so I don't feel that I can justify the price. Besides, drugstore stuff are so freaking awesome these days. Who needs to pay for inflated prices?
Taling about drugstore, I want to try out Palladio and Prestige too! haha...buying cosmetics is never ending....

Hello Bun Bun, hmm I got Berry A'more (another of my favourite alongside with Luminoso and its a berry-ish colour with some shimmers but more colour than shimmers), Corallina ( my least favourite cos a lot of shimmers so do not get it if u arent sure abt shimmers, its kinda like the ELF Candid Coral but less chalky and more smoother application,) Red Vino ( I am on the fence about it..its red and u got to be super light hand and blend it really well or look like u literally got pinched lol, but may not suit u cos u are fairer than me I think;))
oh and I also got Dolce Pink ( which I also love cos it gives a pinkish flush to the cheeks but doesnt look fake, not too shimmery and I think will look good on you! :) ) I applied all the blush with the ELF Studio Complexion Brush... I would recommend you get Dolce Pink :)
I joined the Cherry Culture spree on www.smoochiezz.com in case you are wondering..took about a little over a month to get here.. hope you like the blushes as much as I do if you decide to get it :)
Sharon

ps and also its super hard for me to find a pinkish blush cos many pink blushes are too chalky and light for my skintone. and for peach blushes to not turn orange is no mean feat so yay to Milani Baked Blushes once again!

Hi Bun Bun, yes Dolce Pink is a pretty shimmer-ish pink but not quite shimmerish.. well seems like u dont mind your blushes being shimmery but i do cos my pores sometimes do decide to come out and say hi lol so i prefer less shimmer bits but having said that the shimmer from these baked blushes are real small and not gritty..and no they dont go all over your face, just where u apply it..well actually u could go to John Little for swatches..just resist from buying them lol.. yes smoochiezz is really efficient but my lunch time is always precious to me so i give it up for anything and also i dont like crowds that much and i am not a big fan of her flea markets so i rather be lazy and wait for my stuff in the mail :)

Ooooh, Dolce Pink! Is it just.... pink all over? I went to check out swatches and it's just... pink. Lol. Berry Amore and Corallina look very pretty! I am okie with shimmer, as long as it doesn't make my WHOLE FACE shimmer. You know, like the shimmer bits just get all over the place.
Oh yea, I order from Smoochiezz too! My office used to be very near her showroom and I'd bring my colleagues there during lunch time. We had no qualms about skipping lunch and spending that previous hour swatching and picking up products. Hahaha... I miss those times... I'm too far away now. =(